FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TORONTO (March 3, 2014) – The Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, & Performers (CANSCAIP) is pleased to launch its inaugural year hosting the 17th annual Writing for Children Competition, which invites writers to submit a piece for children up to 1,500 words in the English language that has not previously been published in any format. A $1,500 prize will be awarded to an unpublished Canadian writer, and the entries of the winner and finalists will be submitted for consideration to three publishers of children’s books. The deadline for entries is April 25, 2014.

The Writing for Children Competition, which welcomes submissions for all ages of young people, from picture books to young adult (YA), can be a springboard into a writing career. The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) initiated the competition over sixteen years ago in order to discover, encourage, and promote new writers of children’s literature in every region of Canada. The Writing for Children Competition has grown in popularity since its inception, and CANSCAIP is excited to announce it has taken on this initiative moving forward in partnership with TWUC.

CANSCAIP is proud to announce an esteemed group of jurors for the 2014 Writing for Children Competition. Award winning author and screenwriter Susin Nielsen has published children’s books for all ages. Susin is best known for her witty & touching novels Word Nerd, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom and the 2012 Governor General Literary Award winning The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Susin currently lives in Vancouver.

Toronto-based Illustrator, writer & broadcaster Kevin Sylvester is known for his award winning Neil Flambé series. His books Don’t Touch That Toad and Gold Medal for Weird won Silver Birch Non-Fiction awards, and his picture book Splinters was nominated for a 2012 Blue Spruce Award. Kevin has also been a broadcaster with CBC Radio for many years.

Teresa Toten is the author of the acclaimed Blondes series, The Taming, co-written with Eric Walters, and The Game. Toten has twice been shortlisted for the Governor General Literary Award and won it in 2013 for The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, a compulsively readable book for teens. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Teresa now lives in Toronto.

To be eligible, submissions must be written by Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have not been published in any format in any genre and who do not have a contract with a book publisher. Any text, fiction or non-fiction, up to 1,500 words, in the English language, that is original and not previously published in any format, is eligible.

There is an entry fee of $25 per submission which can be paid by cheque (CANSCAIP, c/o Writing for Children Competition, 504-720 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2R4) or submitted through PayPal. We will not be accepting any hardcopy submissions. For complete rules and regulations, please visit www.canscaip.org/competitions.

CANSCAIP is our country’s national organization representing professional authors, illustrators & performers of children’s books and culture. We are dedicated to fostering the creation of children’s literature in Canada, and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all children’s literature creators. For more information, please visit www.canscaip.org.

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For additional information contact:
Allison Burda | Community Outreach & Social Media Manager | CANSCAIP | aburda@canscaip.org